Boy Who Works As Bus Conductor, Lives Under Bridge Becomes Chess Champion; Wins Trophy

• A teenager, Adeoye Fawaz, who lives under the bridge and is a conductor has made great strides as a chess player after winning a trophy
• Fawaz's life changed for the better with the help of Tunde Onakoya who introduced him to the game
• Many people who reacted to the young boy's story on social media were amazed at his success despite his poor background

An 18-year-old Nigerian boy, Adeoye Fawaz, who works as a bus conductor to survive and has been living under the bridge all his life has finally had a life turnaround.

The turnaround was made possible by Tunde Onakoya, the CEO of Chess in Slum Africa, an organisation that has used the game of chess to give new meanings to many lives.

Fawaz will not be the only one whose life the NGO has changed. Many months ago, Tunde's encounter with a boy with cerebral palsy seized media attention.

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The boy who was mostly ridiculed by his peers because of his medical condition became the joy of his community. His skill at chess won him the attention of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Fawaz life changed

In a LinkedIn post by Abubakar B, it was revealed that Fawaz emerged as a winner among his peers in a competition organised by the initiative.

Photos shared online showed the boy wearing traditional attire, screaming with a trophy in his hand and medals on his neck.

One of the snaps shared online showed the boy before his life changed. His chest bones were traceable due to a lack of proper nutrition.

Messages of congratulations

Below are some of the reactions it got when his story was reshared on LinkedIn:

Olufunmilayo Adedibu said:

"Congrats to Adeoye Fawaz and well done to the organizers of this tournament. However after this what next for these young men? How is government partnering with this NGO to impact the lives of these youngsters and make them better citizens?"

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S. Senthil Kumar said:

"Thank you so much Abubakar Baba Amin I am keeping Fawaz image as my desktop wallpaper. Positive Energy! Great. Thanks for sharing."

Idara Essang said:

"Am more angry than happy about this matter- just to see the image of an obviously bright young man excel- yet he lives under a bridge!"

Olawale Olaogun said:

"Congratulations Adeoye. May this mark the beginning of a new era for you and all yours."

Nigerian boy made it in Europe

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh earlier reported that a young Nigerian boy, Tani Adewumi, whose story as a homeless chess player once made waves years ago has now made even greater strides.

An American journalist, Nicholas Kristof, on Sunday, May 2, revealed that the boy, now 10 years old, has won a championship and is now a master chess player at a very young age.

He attached a photo of the kid smiling and holding his trophies. He then went ahead to say that his story is a reminder that opportunities trump talent, which everybody seems to have.

Source: YEN.com.gh